title: Occult HBV infection among Egyptian hepatocellular carcinoma patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Occult HBV infection accelerates the progression of liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, and finally leading to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study analyzed the occult HBV-genotypes in HCC patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  To achieve our objective, matched serum and tissue samples were collected from 40 HCC patients. Three sets of primers were used for the HBV-DNA detection by nested-PCR, which cover the HBV-genome; Core, Surface and X genes. Genotyping system based on PCR using type-specific primers was applied on HBV-DNA positive samples.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Intrahepatic occult HBV-DNA was detected in 62.5%, whereas; Serum occult HBV-DNA were detected in only 22.5% of HCC patients. In patients' positive for both anti-HBs and anti-HBc, 10% had occult HBV in serum. In serologically negative HCV patients, 63% had intrahepatic HBV-DNA, and 21% had HBV-DNA in serum samples. HBV-genotype D (32%) and B (24%) attributed predominantly to intrahepatic HBV infections in HCC patients, whereas HBV-genotype A (4%) and C (8%) infections were the least observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first study to show the genotypes of occult HBV infection in HCC Patients. We suggest that B or D may influence the outcome of HBV infection which may lead to the development of HCC.
authors.affiliation: Virology and immunology Unit, Cancer Biology Department, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, 1st Kasr El-Aini St, 11197 Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Zeinab K
authors.initials: ZK
authors.lastname: Hassan
authors.forename: Mohamed M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Hafez
authors.forename: Tarek M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Mansor
authors.forename: Abdel Rahman N
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Zekri
mesh_terms: D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000097:blood / Q000821:virology*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D004534:Egypt; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000097:blood / Q000821:virology*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000821:virology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral